Yzabelle Bostyn
IBIZA council and Airbnb have signed a ‘historic’ agreement to remove illegal tourist accommodation from the platform.
The ‘pioneering’ plan will remove ‘flagrantly’ illegal properties from the website, including caravans, tents, yurts and boats.
The agreement means properties will be taken down ‘without discussion or appeal’ in order to prevent costly legal delays.
In the first 15 days of the operation, over 300 adverts have been taken down and Airbnb users who violate the law will also face being blocked from the platform.
In Ibiza, there are 100 open cases, which is expected to reach over 200 with the introduction of new measures.
The agreement has been signed by Ibiza council leader, Vicent Mari and Spanish Airbnb director, Jaime Rodriguez de Santiago.
Other entities have also been involved in the talks, including the Ibiza Tourist Accommodation Association (AVAT), the Ibiza and Formentera Hotelier Federation (FEHIF) and the Ibiza Tourism Board.
“Airbnb has chosen Ibiza to establish their fight against the intrusion of tourist flats,” Mari said.
“The island is small but a big player in Spain’s tourism industry.”
Meanwhile Santiago has expressed his wish that Ibiza be the ‘first of many’ councils to collaborate with Airbnb.
“This is the start of a long relationship,” he said.
